Lab School lines up concert acts

Na Leo, Hapa, Maunalua and the Brothers Cazimero are among the acts scheduled to perform Aug. 19 at a benefit for the University Laboratory School, which suffered a devastating fire in June. The concert starts at 4 p.m. at Andrews Amphitheater. Tickets are $30 at the Lab School office, East Side Grill in Puck's Alley, Lulu's in Waikiki and the Moku Ola Hawaiian Healing Center in the Koko Marina Shopping Center. For more information, call 956-4977 or 956-7833.

Submarine fleet to get new leader

He will relieve Rear Adm. Jeffrey Cassias, who is retiring. Walsh comes to Pearl Harbor after serving as director of the chief of naval operations Submarine Warfare Division.

Cassias assumed command of the 36 nuclear submarines home-ported in Pearl Harbor; San Diego; Bangor, Wash.; and Guam in April 2005.

The first Trident ballistic missile submarine, USS Ohio, was put into service during his command. He oversaw the shift of two ballistic missile submarines -- USS Maine and USS Louisiana -- from the Atlantic to the Pacific fleet.

Hotel workers agree to hold strike vote

The head of Unite Here Local 5 has called for a strike authorization vote by Waikiki hotel workers to be taken Aug. 23 at the Blaisdell Center Arena.

Hundreds of members of Local 5's Citywide Organizing Committee met yesterday and gave Eric Gill, the union's secretary-treasurer, the go-ahead to call for the vote.

The union has been in negotiations with the major Waikiki hotels since June, and the contract expired June 30.

Man is charged in stabbing at theater

A 32-year-old homeless man was charged yesterday with second-degree attempted murder in the stabbing of an 82-year-old man in a bathroom at the Mililani 14 Theatres.

Bail was set at $50,000.

Justin C. Williams told police he wanted to "cut the man because he wanted to go to jail for life," according to a police officer's affidavit.

Williams was seen rocking back and forth when police arrived, the affidavit said.

Witnesses heard scuffling and yelling in the bathroom, went in and found Williams allegedly with a knife in his hand, the affidavit said. They also found the victim holding the back of his head and asking witnesses to call police.

The 82-year-old told police he was attacked from behind while washing his hands, police said. He was taken to Wahiawa General Hospital with minor injuries, said a spokesman for the Emergency Services Department.

[ THE COURTS ]

Kahapea's sentence upheld by high court

The Hawaii Supreme Court has upheld convicted city housing official Michael Kahapea's 50-year prison sentence for stealing millions of dollars from the city in the Ewa Villages relocation project.

Kahapea was convicted in August 2000 for masterminding a scheme that had the city pay nearly $5.8 million to bogus moving companies owned by Kahapea's friends and family. The moves either never occurred or were done at inflated prices. Some of the money was kicked back to Kahapea, who spent it on gambling trips to Las Vegas and at local hostess bars.

Last year, Kahapea asked Circuit Court Judge Reynaldo Graulty to reconsider the sentence, arguing that it was "extremely harsh" when compared with the sentences of the other defendants in public corruption cases. The appeal also noted that Kahapea has been a model inmate, has medical problems and is "remorseful for the crimes he has committed."

Woman will keep dog off Kahala Beach

A Kahala woman awaiting trial in September after her Rottweiler attacked two children on Kahala Beach on separate occasions last year has withdrawn a request to allow the dog to resume walks on the beach.

Defense attorney Myron Takemoto, who was just retained this week by Mariko Bereday, said he needed more time to review the case.

Bereday owns the dog that was involved in separate biting incidents in May of last year involving a 2 1/2-year old boy and a 4-year-old girl.

A judge had ordered the dog be returned to Bereday on condition it be confined to her home.

Deputy Prosecutor Abigail Mayers said the state opposes the request and is prepared to go to trial in September.

SHINING STARS

Lawyers association honors UH professor

Professor David L. Callies, who teaches real property, land-use planning, state and local government law at the University of Hawaii, has received the ninth annual Jefferson Fordham Lifetime Achievement Awardfrom the American Bar Association.

The award recognizes professional excellence and outstanding contributions to the practice of state and local government law. Callies served as chairman of the ABA Section on State and Local Government law from 1989 to 1990 after four years on the executive committee and three years on its governing council.

Callies also teaches an advanced writing seminar. He was a co-author of his 14th book, "The Role of Customary Law in Sustainable Development," published by Cambridge University press.

Susan Hughes has been appointed executive director of the Leeward Oahu affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, whose mission is to provide affordable housing for the homeless. Hughes has had more than 20 years with nonprofit organizations, including executive positions with the Arthritis Foundation, and the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce.

Lisa Gao of Iolani School received a full-tuition, room and board scholarship to attend the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation 2006 Summer Seminar Program in Colorado Springs in June. The national intensive visual art program is offered to only 60 gifted high school juniors.

Hawaiian Cement has awarded its annual scholarships to two college-bound children of its employees. They are Jessica A. Yee, daughter of Wendell Yee, a credit/risk manager, who was awarded $8,000; and Amanda M. Agrisola, daughter of Amado Agrisola, a retired driller, who received $4,000. Yee is a graduate of McKinley High School; and Agrisola, of Radford High.

Harrison Gordon Matthews of Makawao, now attending Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., went to Beijing as part of the College's Foreign Study Program this summer.

Kawaiaha'o Church has received $1 million from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for the renovation and preservation improvements of its buildings and school. The grant, to be distributed over three years, will also go toward the construction of a new multipurpose building.

"Shining Stars" runs Sunday through Thursday.

Police, Fire, Courts

Star-Bulletin staff

HONOLULU

Faulty outlet is blamed in Makiki apartment fire

A fire that occurred at an apartment in Makiki on Monday night was caused by an electrical fault in an outlet, a fire official said.

The fire occurred near the air-conditioning unit of a tenant's bedroom on the fourth floor of a residential building at 1151 Alohi Way.

A man, 53, suffered some burns and a back injury. His roommate, a man in his mid-20s, was not home at the time of the fire, Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Kenison Tejada said. The door to the other bedroom was closed, which slowed down the spread of the fire significantly, Tejada said. The other tenant's possessions were "pretty much intact," he said.

Damage to the building and its contents was estimated at $95,000.

The American Red Cross is assisting the two tenants with living arrangements.

EAST OAHU

Man hurt on tube in Koko Marina

A 36-year-old Japanese visitor apparently suffered a minor back injury yesterday while on an inner tube ride at Koko Marina, said Cormac O'Carroll, owner of Hawaii Watersports.

He said the man was riding the bumper tube, basically an inner tube pulled behind a ski boat.

Bryan Cheplic, Emergency Services Department spokesman, said the man had tingling sensation in his arms but otherwise appeared fine. The man had minor injuries, was able to walk and was taken to Straub Hospital, Cheplic said.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Driver in crash died of heart attack

Big Island police say that an autopsy revealed that the 57-year-old Hilo man who crashed his car at 12:29 p.m. Monday died of a heart attack.

He was identified as Lester Fujioka.

Fujioka was driving a pickup truck on Kilauea Avenue in Hilo when his truck crossed the center line, clipped a utility pole and hit two parked cars.

He was taken to Hilo Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Big Isle police look into damage to grave

Big Island police are investigating the desecration of a grave site at a private cemetery in North Kohala.

Police said a family member of someone buried at the cemetery was cleaning the graveyard at about 8:35 a.m. Tuesday and noticed that one of the graves had been dug into.

Police ask anyone with information to call officer Dale Ku at 889-6540, the police nonemergency number at 935-3311, CrimeStoppers in Hilo at 961-8300 or CrimeStoppers in Kona at 329-8181.